Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), also known as 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD), and novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) is a viral respiratory disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). It was first detected during the 2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.

As per the Africa CDC, in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen from 2,475 to 2,556, while the number of those infected with COVID-19 has risen from 72,336 to 75,447. The total number of recovered patients increased from 25,268 to 27,227.

North Africa remains the most-affected region on the continent, with 1,340 dead and 24,990 infected by COVID-19. In West Africa, there are 465 deaths and 22,204 infections, while Southern Africa accounts for 257 deaths and reports 13,884 cases. Almost all of these are concentrated in a single country, South Africa (12,739).

Six countries– South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and Ghana– account for about half of infections with the new coronavirus, and more than two-thirds of deaths associated with the disease. Egypt is the country with the most deaths (571), and has 10,829 cases. This is followed by Algeria, which has so far registered 529 deaths and 6,442 infections.

South Africa has become the country with the third highest number of COVID-19 deaths, having registered 238. It also continues to be the continent’s hardest-hit country in terms of cases, with 12,739 coronavirus infections so far. Morocco totals 188 fatalities and 6,607 cases, Nigeria has 167 deaths and 5,162 cases, while Ghana has 24 deaths. However, Ghana is the country with the fifth-most infections in Africa, with 5,530.

On Wednesday, Lesotho announced its first case of COVID-19. That leaves the territory of the Saharawi Republic, also known as Western Sahara, as the only territory in Africa that has yet to report a case of COVID-19. The self-proclaimed “Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic” is a member of the African Union, but is not recognized as a country by the United Nations or much of the rest of the world.

Coronaviruses are species of virus belonging to the subfamily Coronavirinae in the family Coronaviridae, in the order Nidovirales. There are seven known strains of human coronaviruses, including COVID-19.

Elsewhere in Africa:

Guinea-Bissau has 913 cases, and has recorded three deaths.

Cape Verde has 315 infections and two deaths.

São Tomé and Príncipe has 231 cases and seven deaths.

Mozambique has 115 infected patients and no deaths.

Angola has 48 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two deaths.

Equatorial Guinea has 522 positive cases of infection and six deaths.

Globally, according to a report by the AFP news agency, the COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 302,000 lives, and infected almost 4.4 million people in 196 countries and territories worldwide. More than 1.5 million patients have since been considered fully cured.

By regions, Europe accounts for more than 163,000 deaths (more than 1.8 million cases), the United States and Canada more than 91,400 deaths (close to 1.5 million cases), Latin America and the Caribbean more than 25,000 deaths (more than 451,000 cases), Asia more than 11,500 deaths (more than 331,000 cases), Middle East more than 7,900 deaths (more than 256,000 cases), Africa more than 2,500 deaths (more than 75,000 cases) and Oceania with 126 deaths (over 8,300 cases).

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News reporting is my thing. My view of what is happening in our world is colored by my love of history and how the past influences events taking place in the present time. I like reading politics and writing articles. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.